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"Maximo Lachman" wrote in message ... according to: http://www.paksplace.com/alert-details.htm which has the following story also: WHY WORRY ABOUT WHO OWNS THE MEDIA? MoveOn Bulletin Op-Ed by Eli Pariser It's like something out of a nightmare, but it really happened: At 1:30 on a cold January night, a train containing hundreds of thousands of gallons of toxic ammonia derails in Minot, North Dakota. Town officials try to sound the emergency alert system, but it isn't working. Desperate to warn townspeople about the poisonous white cloud bearing down on them, the officials call their local radio stations. But no one answers any of the phones for an hour and a half. According to the New York Times, three hundred people are hospitalized, some are partially blinded, and pets and livestock are killed. Where were Minot's DJs on January 18th, 2002? Where was the late night station crew? As it turns out, six of the seven local radio stations had recently been purchased by Clear Channel Communications, a radio giant with over 1,200 stations nationwide. There were no DJs or crew, computers were running the station. A. Less than a half-percent of Americans are listening to the radio at that hour... in a small town, probably next to nobody. B. The authorities had the ability to activate the EAS, and get a message on the air from a central point. No one in local government thought to do this. C. Most radio stations have been automated or are using syndicated fare in overnights as of the 70's. The main reason for being on the air overnight in most markets is to keep from having equipment failures at the beginning of prime morning drive time. D. Even before the 70's, many stations ran music with a board operator, not an announcer. |